Especially common in residential building structures, the sheathing of exterior walls are known to be covered with a siding material typically made of aluminum, plastic, cedar or other synthetic material often made to appear like wood. Often, various exterior appendages of the home such as cloths dryer vents, exterior light fixtures, electrical outlets, and water spigots must be trimmed-out for aesthetic reasons. This is commonly done with a mounting bracket. One such example of a known mounting bracket is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,708, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The known mounting bracket has an internal base member that snap fits to an external trim member along an axis disposed perpendicular to the sheathing and during assembly. The base member has a continuous flange that projects radially outward and is typically nailed to the sheathing. Projecting axially or laterally outward from the flange and to an inner central panel is a continuous wall. Generally, the wall defines the perimeter of the central panel. A cutout communicates through the panel and has a shape generally dictated by the appendage projecting through it.
The trim member has a continuous partition that projects laterally and axially inward toward the base member, and an aesthetically pleasing flange that projects radially outward from the partition. An opening is generally defined by the partition and receives the wall and panel when the bracket is assembled. The partition is generally shaped to conform with the wall. Multi-positional snap fit features are known to be carried between a radially outward surface of the wall and a radially inward surface of the partition. When the bracket is assembled, the close proximity of the partition to the wall causes the feature to lock the partition and wall together.
During construction of the building, once the base member is secured to the wall, the siding material is installed over the wall and over the flange. The siding, however, must be trimmed so that it is slightly spaced from the continuous wall of the base member. This spacing allows room for entry of the continuous partition of the trim piece, yet is close enough to the wall so that the ends are aesthetically concealed by the outer flange of the trim member which is substantially flush to the siding. Unfortunately, the siding is typically exposed to rain or water which flows down the siding and beneath the exterior flange. This water can accumulate and seep into the concealed ends of the siding and seep further down to the inner flange of the base member exposing the sheathing to moisture. The retained moisture can potentially create a host of problems including the rot of wood, disintegration of simulated materials and the attraction of unwanted insects.